Global travel remains white hot: Amex

When looking at consumer travel habits for 2025, 74% of global respondents plan on taking one to three domestic trips in 2025, and 59% of global respondents plan on taking one to three international trips in 2025. Fully, 60% of global respondents plan to book a trip around entertainment events or plan on taking at least one trip for a sporting event in 2025, reinforcing that traveling for experiences continues to be a driving force.

Travelers are also redefining souvenirs and curating tangible ways to remember their destinations long after they’ve returned, according to Amex.

The traditional souvenir or duty-free shop isn’t cutting it anymore. Travelers are more intentional about what they bring back, especially when it comes to handmade or specialty local goods.

Fully, 82% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed look for one-of-a-kind goods that will remind them of their trip, so they have a story to share with friends and family (compared to 68% of Gen X and Baby Boomers) and 57% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed intentionally travel to a destination to find high-quality items that are handmade/authentic to the destination they are visiting.

More than half of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed intentionally travel to a destination to find high-quality items that are handmade/authentic to the destination they are visiting.

Amex said travelers of all generations associate more mindful shopping with great trips: 73% of global respondents surveyed say it is important for them to support local small businesses while visiting a new destination. To find those local small businesses to visit on their trip, 67% of global respondents typically use local recommendations/guides or social media.

Multi-gen trend

From Millennial/Gen Z-aged parents letting their kids take the lead on planning, to bringing extended family along, multi-generation vacations are becoming increasingly popular.

68% of Millennials and Gen Z parents surveyed say their children typically help inform aspects of trips, compared to 56% of Gen X and Baby Boomer parents surveyed

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Fully, 58% of Millennials and Gen Z parents surveyed plan to bring their extended family on vacation in 2025, as opposed to 31% of their Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts. And not just for the free babysitting as 89% of these Millennial and Gen Z-aged parents cited “quality time” as the reason for bringing along extended family, which is more than those who said to “help with childcare” (24%).

The next generation also has a stronger voice than ever in planning family vacations: 68% of Millennials and Gen Z parents surveyed say their children typically help inform aspects of trips (compared to 56% of Gen X and Baby Boomer parents surveyed).

Amex found that 81% of global respondents prefer destinations that are family-centric and have activities for all ages.

Parents are willing to take their children out of school to travel so they can take advantage of the off-season with 72% of Millennials and Gen Z-aged parents surveyed willing to do so.

Empty nesters are on the move, even outside of those multi-generational family trips with 67% of global respondents saying they “travel more than ever” now that their kids are out of the house.

Using points

Travelers are becoming savvier by stacking reward points and using benefits across credit cards and travel programs to maximize their trips.

83% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed found at least one aspect of AI technology to be useful for booking, compared to 64% of Gen X and Baby Boomers

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From the transportation credits that get them to their destination, to the locally-inspired cuisine they enjoy at the airport lounge, "Benefit Aficionados" have mastered the art of using travel benefits to make their journey smoother and more rewarding.

Two-thirds (66%) of global respondents say that combining credit card rewards with other loyalty perks provides “the best value for international trips.” It’s not just about offsetting costs, though. Many travelers (58% of global respondents) are likely to stack travel benefits from multiple loyalty programs to get upgrades they wouldn’t have splurged on otherwise.

Our survey revealed a significant generation gap here: 61% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed use their credit card to maximize travel rewards, compared to 36% of Gen X and Baby Boomers. One way or another, all generations surveyed are taking advantage:

• 50% plan to use points for trips in 2025
• 45% choose their destination based on points
• 43% book only after earning enough points

Travelers are also relying on new technology to make their journey smoother and more personalized.

The younger generations are leading the embrace of Gen AI capabilities: 83% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed found at least one aspect of this new technology to be useful for booking, compared to 64% of Gen X and Baby Boomers.

According to Millennials and Gen Z surveyed, the most useful travel aspects of Gen AI include:

• Activity recommendations 40%
• Budgeting / expense management 36%
• Translation assistance 33%
• Personalized trip recommendations 33%

In addition, 80% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed like the fast convenience of using travel planning apps or social media to help them plan their travel journey, and 66% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed typically download relevant travel apps before a trip (compared to 51% of Gen X and Baby Boomers).

When it comes time to book the trip and organize details, 39% of Millennials and Gen Z surveyed typically search for the best deals on their smartphone or tablet but then use a desktop computer to book. But despite the conveniences of technology, around a quarter of global respondents still enjoy speaking with a travel agent when making or adjusting bookings.